Gaul
by Remi Silvergold
Summary: The Legend of the Heroic Spyro against Malefor, fighting Cynder and Gaul first... Okay. But now, let's change the side and see what happened in the "villain"'s side. What if Gaul had reasons to act the way he acted ? Dear readers, welcome the the tragedy of Gaul the Ape King.


_**I**_

He was sitting on his great throne, imposing, an autoritarian look on his face, lightened by the environmental grim as, inside, he felt empty for what he ordered and what he knew was done because of him. But he had to stay with his look: he was a King, after all. And even if what he ordered was immoral and against every form of honor, he had to do it... He had to do it for his people, for his species. He had to do it to end this bloody war, the Apes had enough deads and victims because of those horrible Dragons! How many children were orphans, how many fathers lost their son, how many families broke because of them! And a Purple Dragon would have been their end...

They don't know how monstrous they've been to them during all those years... They don't know how his species suffered because of them... They know nothing! Nothing but the blood of the Apes, nothing but that irresistible lust of killing and exterminate his breed!

And he saw them. Yes! He saw them acting in a battle! He saw how cruel some of them could be! He caressed his glass eye, remembering everything, remembering how he lost it...

 _He could barely see a thing into the battle, his two swords at his hands, his fur very sweaty. He coughed by inhaling some dust and dodged dragons claws at the last second before attacking and killing his ennemy. That's when he saw his brother, close to him, his back on the ground, under an orange Dragon. This last one put one of his paws higher in the sky, ready to strike and kill. His brother turned his head and saw him. He lift up one of his swords, ready to hit the dragon, refusing this fate for his brother!_

" _Noo!" he shrieked._

 _But the claws of the Dragon, who saw him, already began to made the fluid movement, slashing his brother's life off, just as his eye..._

He closed his hand into a fist and hit the armrest of his throne, rage burning inside of him, having in head one word for that: vengeance.

Since that day, Gaul never hated more that Dragon who was, he learned it later, Ignitus.

Then, earing the footsteps coming closer into his palace, he remember what he did and hated himself for the attack he ordered on the Temple. _Destroy all the eggs_ , he remember saying to his general, _but remember to keep one. We have to free the Dark Master. Meanwhile, I am gonna do the distraction at the other side of the Temple. Their forces will be divided so they will be weaker. Join me at my throne room once you finished your mission._

And, Malefor... He trusted him. Oh yes he trusted him so much! He was the only Dragon who actually deserved his respect. After all, he was the only Dragon to protect the Apes, many years ago. And he was the only one who taught them the art of magic and cristals just as some weak points in a dragon, which was very useful for the next battles. Without him, his species would be extinct long ago. That's why he trusted him: he was a savior, a hero without any default except pride; he was the one Dragon who knew the true nature of his kind. And that's why he swore allegiance to him.

Then, the Ape appeared. Everything in him looked military. He went in front of Gaul and kneeled before him.

"Ah! Welcome back, Atior", said the King. "So, I guess you did it."

"Yes, Majesty, the mission was a complete success. We destroyed all the eggs."

"All?"

"No. We saved one, as you wished. And I kept it far from the others so the egg is now safe and..."

He clapped his hands two times and two other Apes came, holding a coushion which, on it, was a sombre egg. A Dragon egg.

"... now, it is your."

Gaul got up from his throne and went close to the egg before finally taking it into his two large hands. He examined, silencious, the entire egg. He carressed everything, appreciating its smoothness. He smiled, satisfied, and turned his head into the Atior's direction before saying:

"Atior, you are upgraded. I am proud of you... and our Master, when he will come back, will be proud of you too."

"Thank you, Majesty."

He put back the egg on the cushion before, then, asking to pose this last right next to his throne so he would have it under his watchful eyes all the time. If he wanted that egg to not be broken as the others, he will have to be alert: some of the Apes were having a hatred so enormous against the Dragons that what he was doing was a sacrilege. Some of them didn't even wanted the return of Malefor. It was simple: no Dragon is an allie of the Apes, for them, even Malefor. And, thankfuly, he was here as a King to calm down some of their destructive passions, to calm down any revolt's attempt. He was the kind of loved King because he always acted for his own specie and he had the trust of most of his people. And that was an advantage on the situation. Hey! Maybe the Dragon will help some of them to get used to the fact that a Dragon doesn't necessary means an ennemy and that it can be a precious ally too!

He sat down on his throne once again after that, a smile full of hope drawed on his face...

 _ **II**_

The night outside was cold and cloudy, completely dark and without any star in your sight, nor moon, as Gaul was sleeping in his warm room, deeply, before something woke him up. He was not the type of snoaring person so the noise had more chances to disturb his sleep.

And what was that noise?

A little crackling one. But this one made his eyelids shake a little, but not much more. No, it needed to repeat itself two or three times for his eyes to finally open. He first questioned himself what was the origin of it, before realising when another crackling noise was made.

He quickly got out from his bed to go in front of the dragon egg he placed into his own room (for security). He looked closely at it and had the answer to his question.

Indeed, it was coming from the egg as he saw the little cracks on it. Then, a liquid began to flow on the ground when, in front of him, was a real rift.

"Finally..." he mumbled...

And, when the little one inside finished to explode the prison, Gaul was like paralysed. His heart was beating faster and a smile grew on his wrinkled face.

He had a sensation he never knew before...

In front of him was a small grey baby with red wings, all viscous because of the amniotic liquid, looking all around with big eyes, discovering life and senses. So Gaul went closer and sat down in front of this new born, who was now looking at him with a mix of an explorator's fascination and fear.

The room was lightened by a sifted one, coming from the fireplace. He was in the warm of this one. And the little one in the darkness. So he held out his arms into the direction of the baby with a smile.

"Come... Come and step into the light..."

And the new born tried to use his feet to finaly success. So he went into the Gaul's arms, this last was feeling weird, with different feelings : he was proud because he was accomplishing the mission his master gave him, and he was proud... he didn't know why but he was sure that it was because of the small thing that he was now holding and even embracing.

"Good", he said. "Good..."

Then, something jumped into his mind! The baby always in his arms, he got up and went to his door! He opened it with a kick and said loudly:

"Bring me some food and milk!"

One of his room's guard was surprised by this sudden appearance and sudden demand too. But, when he saw what the King had into his arms, he quickly understood before going fast and doing what his superior asked.

And while what he wanted was coming, he looked at the new born, who began to cry, and observe him closely.

Well, "him"... I would said it was more a _her_ when he finally looked at the right place for the info. The baby's body forms were feminine too, after all. But he didn't knew which element she naturaly had... but, after all, it didn't matter really much!

Some milk and meal were now here. The King ordered to put them into his room while he went on his bed, the baby still on his arms, crying. With a gesture from his head, he demanded to one of his minions, Hirloat Gardelson more precisly, to gave him the milk for the baby. He obeyed, took it and approached slowly... very slowly. It was the first time he ever saw a Dragon. And, fortunatly, it was a great start to begin with a baby one and even an allied one. But a Dragon was a Dragon and he knew how many death his family had because of them. So that's why he was scared of that little Dragoness...

"What are you? A swatter?!" answered Gaul to that, amused.

He took the milk and hold it to the little dragoness... who didn't want it at all. She completely refused and continued to cry. He sighed and asked for the meal. Hirloat obeyed again and, when the baby dragoness saw it, she jumped on him. He dropped it, surprised and scared, and she began to eat savagely.

Gaul got up and, after insulting while laughing his minion of sissy, he went right next to the small grey dragoness.

"So... What will be your name..."

He thought and, by looking a moment at her, he had an illumination.

"Oh! I know!"

So he said the name he chose...

 _ **III**_

"Cynder! What did I tell you!"

She had a cristal between her teeth when she heard his yelling. And when she recognized the voice, she ran faster.

"I TOLD YOU TO _NOT TOUCHING_ IT! COME HERE, LITTLE GIRL!"

She arrived in a furnished room and tried to hide quickly.

Then was a long long silence as her heart was beating faster. Her body was completely shaking, especialy her legs. And, because of this fear, she had an urge need to...

" _Boo!_ " said Gaul as his head suddenly appeared in her vision. "Here you are!"

… pee... She had an urge need to pee. _Had_. Because, now, it was leaking.

"Don't punish me, dad..." she said with her two years old voice, changed with the cristal she had in mouth.

So he sighed and took that last one before holding Cynder by the neck.

"It's alright. You're gonna have a bath and we'll talk about that."

Gaul gave the cristal to one of his minion and, by a gesture of the hand, ordered to clean the place and saying :

"Prepare the bath."

"Yes, King."

The water was still warm when Gaul broke the silence that the two years old light grey dragoness was keeping, embarassed.

"Listen, Cynder", he began while continuing to brush her scales, "I told you for the cristal. You are not allowed to touch it because it's an important object, something that I am working with others on it since you were born. And we prepare it for you."

"Sorry dad..." she answered after a moment of silence. "But was curious... All shiny."

"Yes, I know. But if you destroy it by accident, you can put all of us in extreme dangers."

"Sorry..."

"Don't be. You didn't damaged it. Just stop trying to take it again and it will be alright", he said while kissing her forehead. "You won't be punished here. But, next time you do it... Understood?"

She nodded.

"Good girl. Now, don't move and close your eyes because I'm cleaning your head."

He closed the door after saying good night to her. She was sleeping in her room, a big room. They prepared it for the right time, which would be a very close future at that moment.

Then, he came back to his throne because he was called : a traitor had to be juged. And he didn't have to wait for long as the main door opened wide, letting three Apes coming in : two guards and one prisonner between the two. His eyes were proud as he knew what was going to happen to him, facing his destiny.

Gaul came closer, then, while talking:

"So... my dear Treaf... It is true : you killed your superior just before the battle began."

"Yes. And if it was a thing to do again then I would do it!"

"Maybe... But why?"

"You don't know how he acted with his soldiers? It was a real tyranny! He was more dangerous than the Dragons!"

"But this act made us loose this battle and multiple lives."

"They knew their job."

"Yes, lots of them knew their job. And you didn't let them do it properly. I am sorry to say that but..."

He was now right in front of him. The prisonner looked at him in his eyes, standing still and proud.

"... but you broke my heart by doing that. So let me bring justice to that and do the same."

Suddenly, the prisonner felt something weird... and cold. He looked at his chest to see that the blade of a dagger was planted into his heart. He rose his head to look at Gaul, who was doing his action with a terrible coldness, and he felt the taste of blood on his tongue.

Then, the total drakness went.

Gaul sighed as he steped right next to the dead body and got out of the room.

"Throw him into the traitors hole and give my excuses to his family."

"Yes Sir!"

He entered a room, this time really dark. And at the middle of it was an altar on which was floating a lightened purple cristal. He closed the door and went close to it.

He stood still during one minute before hearing a familiar voice right behind him.

"You know the cristal is ready, Gaul."

A tear appeared on his cheek as he sadly sighed and answered:

"Yes. I know..."

"So why don't you use it now?"

"It's because..."

"Because?"

"It's because I love her and I don't want her to get hurt."

"Gaul... Gaul... Gaul... You are disapointing me. Is this how your miserable race will die? Because you didn't want to give a dragoness the best gift I could do for her?"

"Is this what you call a gift, _Malefor_?! You will control her as a vulgar puppet!"

"No. I will let her live and make her better, powerful. This is the present I give her. And you can have it too. All you have to do is using this cristal."

He turned back to see a black hole covered in purple with, in the middle, two yellow snaky terrifying eyes.

"But, Master..."

A dark purple beam suddenly came from the hole and hit Gaul, which pushed him on the ground!

"Don't force me to kill you, Gaul. Even if I'm stucked into this dimensional prison, I still have some of my powers. And it's enough to murder you in terrible pains! I need her and you need me to survive, you and your entire race, you and even that small child you called Cynder. So use the cristal and the Apes will live on, will survive! Use the cristal and the Apes will win the war against the Dragons! You want this war to have an end, don't you?"

"Yes... I do..."

"So use my present on _her_ and on _you_! And _quick_! I am rather impatient those last times..."

"Yes, Master..."

He kneeled before the Malefor's presence and the hole suddenly disapeared.

A moment of silence went before Gaul turn back into the cristal and sigh, contractary thoughts in his mind.

Then he grabed it and got out of the room before going where Cynder was to accomplish a job that he had but didn't want to do.

 _ **IV**_

"Cynder... Cynder... Wake up..."

She felt a contact on her shoulder so she opened her eyes, tired. Then she saw in front of her a friendly face : the Gaul's one. He was slowly shaking her to wake her up. And it apparently suceed. She lift her head and, with her tiny voice, she asked:

"Dad?"

"Ah, finally. Wake up, Cyndy, we need to go."

"Why?"

"It's a surprise..."

"Hmmmm... Five minutes..."

He sighed. And, a minute after, Cynder was still sleeping but she was confortably beared by her dad like a baby. His fur was warm so it didn't help her to properly waking up.

Then, she felt something cold. She moaned and she heard clicking noises. She fully opened her eyes, finally, to see Gaul in front of her, a serious face and his hands... placing something around her neck. And, after that, he stepped back and took some kind of crystal...

She stood up and tried to go closer to her dad when... the chains paralysed her and when she felt that she had a metal necklace, which was engravec the Æther's symbol on it.

"Dad?" she asked. "What happen? I can't move..."

"Don't worry, Cynder, don't worry."

His hands went on a lever. He took a big inspiration and, finally, pulled it.

The ground where the dragoness was suddenly disapeared and a strange light was coming from under. She felt like falling... but she was floating a bit in the air with this light.

"Dad! I'm scared!"

He then went closer to his daughter, in front of her.

"Don't be. It'll be over very soon."

He put the crystal right at his feet and closed his eyes. A light suddenly came from the object and it penetrated the Gaul's body. He felt more powerful, capable to move moutains with his only magic. He rose his arms, trembling. And he opened his eyes to see Cynder, terrified. But not only her : behind the Dragoness were the two terrifying yellow eyes.

His mind was full of doubts, his breath was jerky and tears began to appear into his eyes.

"Do it", said the grave Malefor's voice.

"Cynder... I love you."

"Dad?"

And, right when she said that, Gaul summoned dark purple beams with his hands. And the small dragoness was hit with them.

She began to sob and to cry before yelling in terrible pain. Floating in the air, she moved all of her members in every sens, trying to get out, but she was stucked. Stucked to feel all her inside's destruction. She even made some moves when you could think she was dislocated. The entire dark room resonated with her screams.

Gaul felt his heart being pressed like if it was a simple grape's grain: seeing her adoptive daughter suffering like that because of him filled him with hate. But he had to do it. He had to continue. So he upgraded the power of the beams, which made Cynder screaming even more. And he yelled too because this magic made him suffer thousands of scorching fires too.

And Malefor... The Dark Master was watching and even appreciating the sight, silencious. The plan was executed perfectly, for the moment. And if he could show that to the world, a smile would be appearing into this immaterial hole.

So he watched the two suffer, serious. So he watched Gaul becoming more powerful than ever and he watched Cynder suddenly growing up, the marks of the Darkness appearing on her forehead, beside her eyes, on her shoulders and, finaly, on the back of her body, right before the tail, just as all her scales became as black as all the darkness combined into the world. And he felt his energy slowly penetrating inside of his two minions, inside of Cynder and of the Ape King Gaul.

Finally, when all was over, he disappeared, letting his two victims inconscious.

Gaul woke up before Cynder. He felt... strange. But, oddly, it was an good strange. And he felt like he could win the war on his own, just by throwing himself into battle, just by making rivers and rivers of blood flowing and nourrishing the sweet humus. He took a big inspiration and, took by a sudden madness, he began to laugh maniacly.

And Cynder woke up, different, every of her movements controled. And when she saw Gaul laughing in front of her, she did the same. And her voice was so different... It was graver and, most of all, stratched and terrifyingly mad.

So the two finally went to the throne's room right after. All the apes, in front of them, ran away, scared for life, not recognizing their own King and her adoptive daughter.

Once arrived, he sat on his throne and Cynder, like a dark Queen, went right next to him, an impressive aura floating around them. Gaul looked straight forward and a smile appeared on his face, determinate to end this millenary war, as he said with a powerful voice:

"There... will...be... _blood._ "

 _ **V**_

Years passed so and the war began more deadly. Especially when Cynder and Gaul were on the battlefield at the same time. It always was a victory. Cynder killed, during those years, three Guardians : The Wind one, the Water one and the Poison one. For Gaul, it was two : the Plant one and the Darkness one, that he killed with his bear hands. Four Guardians survived : Fire, Electricity, Ice and Earth. Only one, the Fire one, Ignitus, escaped from Cynder.

And that's when they found him that they learned about the little Purple Dragon: Spyro.

Gaul went totally mad when he saw that the attacked he ordered was in vain. So he locked himself after ordering to kill the Dragon, alone, protecting his people of what his madness would have done, questionning himself and all the actions he did during his life.

But when he finally got out of his room and took place on his throne again, he felt a sudden pain into his chest. Everybody next to him thought that he was going to die for how miserable he looked. That was also the first time that he cried in public.

And, suddenly, he yelled! It resonated through the entire room! Then, he felt on the ground, breathing loudly but, this time, with a more calm speed.

"What happened, my King ?" asked one of his subjects.

He didn't aswered, continuing to take his breath. But, after that...

"No..." he sadly whispered. "Why her..."

"My King?"

He looked at him and realised he was in public. So he got up and got back on his throne, slowly, before saying out loudly :

"I have a bad news and a good news. The good news is that our Master will soon return, at the Eternal Night. Cynder succeed her mission, prepare yourself for the journey to the Well of Soul. The bad news..."

He took a moment of silent and looked down before saying with a sad accent:

"We lost Cynder..."

A silent came to the room. A deadly silent. The Apes were hesitating to this: _was it really a bad news since she was a Dragon? Even if she was our allie, she could have betrayed us because Malefor was her Master._ But others were also in the sad mood: they began to appreciate Cynder, after all. She even saved more Apes than everybody in the History. Even Gaul was saved by her when they fought Ignitus when he lost this little one called Pyra. They remember that because it was really recent, and it was right before Ignitus ran away and disapeared of their sights.

Gaul got up and began to get out of the room.

"Prepare yourself! Our destination is the Well of Soul!"

And the doors were close brutally.

 _ **VI**_

It was a relief when the arrived at destination and when they saw that everything was ready.

Gaul had his throne's room and he waited.

One day, the crystal of his scepter began to shine with an unusual brightness. So he decided to look at it. And what he saw... what he saw turned his into a dark madness.

" _WHAT!_ " he yelled suddenly, scaring all the Apes around him.

He began to laugh. Harder and harder. Like a maniac. As a maniac.

"No... This can't be happening... No! Ah ah ah! Ah!"

A dark fog began to surrounding him and his eye shine with a terrifying green light.

"My King...?"

"SHE BETRAYED US!"

And he continued to laugh. To laugh or to cry.

"CYNDER BETRAYED US! She is alive... but she is with them! _Them!_ "

"What? Cynder is alive?"

"She betrayed us?"

"She is with the Purple?"

"Prepare my armor!" he ordered, with a touch of great pride inside of him. "I know what I have to do!"

"Gaul! Gaul! Gaul! Gaul! Gaul!" yelled an assembly of spectators into the throne's room, a purple beam at the middle.

And Gaul made a stepp foreward, all armored. He made a sign with his hand but, because it didn't worked, he ordered loudly:

" _Silence!_ "

And the silence came.

"Even n..."

A crash went from next to him. He looked at this direction, angry, to see one Ape in the middle of a weapon's mess on the ground.

"Sorry..." he said, his hand behind his back, a bit ashamed of what happened.

Gaul groaned but continued:

"Even now, our ennemies prepare to defend the Temple."

The Apes acclamations started again. Gaul putted in evidence his scepter and something like a smoke screen appeared in the beam. The cristal was now shinning more and more.

"Look... Looooook!" said Gaul, deeply. " _Look!_ "

On the screen appeared the image of Spyro and Cynder, training inside the cercle at the training room. Spyro was a bit in difficulties with his fire element. But, when he succeed, everone could see a giant form appearing next to them. And the maniac's laugh. They recognized their King.

"Cynder..." he said, a giant gleam of madness against her after what he discovered.

But Spyro was on his way. His two swords out, he tried to brutally plant him! But this one dodged! He had enough space to be in front of the dark Dragoness, afraid. _This time, you will be punished, my dear_. At that right moment, he wanted to kill her, forgetting the past, forgetting the love he had for her as a father. He had only one objective: murdering her.

"Cynder! End it! Make him go away!" yelled Spyro before going right in front of the King!

He tried to use his element... but nothing came.

"Oh no, not again..." he added.

Gaul laughed again and punched him, making him fly through the other side of the room! Then, he turned back to the Dragonness and, with a terrifying anger in his voice:

"Cynder..."

"Do something!" yelled a strange voice behind. "We're running out of time!"

He tried to slash her with one hit but she rolled and dodged! With madness, he made another one that resonated on the ground with a big _clink!_ The power he made in this one was filled with great strength and it created so sort of wind that blew Cynder on the wall! She began to took back her minds and Gaul put his two swords high in the air, ready to finish all of that, pure madness into his eyes. A laugh almost came...

And a strange sound and light was created, behind him. He looked back to see Spyro, a bright and powerful purple aura around him. He got up in air, almost levitating, and rushed into Gaul to hit him four time violently in the face! A bit of blood came out of the King's mouth as he disapeared, surprised by how powerful the Purple Dragon was at this age...

The screen disapeared and all the Apes were shocked by what they saw.

Then, Gaul came back to them, agitating his head to taking back his minds after what happened. And whe he realised, pride and anger combined themselves inside of him and he declared:

"We must attack the Temple. The Great Gaul must _not_ fail!"

So went in front of him a heavy-masked Ape, with his Dreadwing next to him, two shiny red eyes brighting in the slot of his armor. The acclamations went. And he declared, with his inaudible voice (because of the helmet he was wearing):

"The Masked Assassin never fails!"

So he looked him during the entire mission. He kind of facepalmed when he saw the incomprehension of his troops. And rage just... well, raged inside of him when he saw that he flied away after being hit by a single Electric shot from Spyro. He gave him a second chance when he came back to the Well of Soul but, if he failed him once again, after how miserable he looked, he assured him that it won't be Spyro but him who will assassinate him.

 _ **VII**_

Since that day, the Ape King became completely mad. All he wanted was to kill Spyro. And Cynder too, even if a voice, inside of his rage against her for her betrayal, said him to keeping her alive, that she was still her adoptive daughter an that she could still be usefull for his Master's plans.

So he ordered a second attack on the Temple. This time, he asked to capture Cynder to getting her back at where her true home was. He sent back the Masked Assassin to that. And he waited in the Well of Soul, preparing with the magic Malefor gave him his return, calming some ideas of revolt at the same time because the racism against Dragons, and so Malefor, came back because of what Cynder did.

And Gaul was furious when he knew that the Assassin failed again and that Cynder wasn't found, that she disapeared from the Temple.

He went to the Masked Assassin's place, his retractable metalic claws on him. He destroyed the door and saw him with his wife. The Assassin turned his head, terrified and unmasked. Gaul rushed on him! It was too fast for him and he was grabbed at his throat!

"What did I told you..." gravely answered the King, looking right into his eyes with his shiny green glass eye. "I told you that, if you failed me once again, I would personally _assassinate_ you!"

A noise went from his free hand : the claws were now out, ready to stab! And the wife jumped on it:

"No! Please!"

Gaul turned his head.

"Fail me once, shame on you. Fail me twice, shame on me. He failed me twice... I won't reproduce the same error."

"He failed you agaisnt the Purple Dragon! Against the creature almost as strong as our Master! But, despite them, he served you well! He never failed before this Dragon! Please, Majesty, please, let him just a last chance for every success he did in the past!"

Tears were omnipresent on her cheeks. So Gaul thought and, after a while, he sighed. He kept his claws out... and made an horizontal move, slashing a bit the Assassin but not deep enough to kill him. He released him and got out.

"Fine. One... last... chance. And you'll have to protect _here_. Now, thank you wife. Next time, I won't show mercy."

When he came back on his throne, Atior went in front of him and informed him that Cynder was captured by a group of Hyenas pirates which head had the name of Skabb: the Skavengers. So he ordered to send some troops with Dreadwings to capture her. And he also missioned him to put a bounty on Spyro.

 _ **VIII**_

She was finaly here again. When he saw her, he was filled with rage... but with love at the same time. He wanted to punish her for what she did... but he also desesparetly wanted to give her a second chance.

She was forced to move because she was chained by her neck. And, most of all, she was surrounded by lots of Apes, ready to jump on her to kill her if she do a suspicious thing. She tried to rebel... but it was in vain.

Gaul, when she was in front of her, declared:

"So... the traitor returns!"

"You can't go through with this, Gaul!" she answered.

The way she spoke to him hurted his heart. It was the first time she did that... And, at the same time, for him, what she was saying was so funny. She was so wrong. So he laughed before coming back to serious and adding:

"Nothing can prevent this. We are merely here to welcome back our Master back to the Realm and join him at His side."

He took a more relaxing sit on his throne, confident on what he was going to say:

"But fear not, Cynder, you've been such a faithful servant. I'm sure he'll take you back..."

She tried to rebel and attack again. Seeing that, his pure rage inside of him woke up again.

"... and if not, you will have the honor of being the first to perish by His hand."

He took a pose that only a great and inspiring King would take and he adressed to the entire assembly:

"Long have we waited! Long have we suffered! But soon, our Master will return and His coming shall bring forth a new age of _power_ for the Apes and we shall have our revenge!"

An exclamation coming from the Apes around was made.

He had plans for Cynder and he was determined to make her fight at their side again, to fight against Spyro, to fight to protect and avenge the Apes.

 _And I shall have my revenge on you, Ignitus, and on you, Spyro, for having took my daughter... Yes... Cynder, you will also be the perfect reason for Spyro to come here... and to die._

 _ **IX**_

Sparx entered first, then followed Spyro. This last one said:

"Where are we?"

"The better question is... what's that smell?" answered the dragonfly.

 _Perfect... They are here..._

As the beam at the middle glowed, Gaul laughed. And he activated the green fires with the dark magic Malefor gave him.

"The purple whelpling!" he exclaimed, his voice resonating through the entire room. "It's fitting that you should be here tonight... as we bear witness to the dawn of a new age... and the failure of your _pathetic race_ of _Dragons_!"

"I wouldn't miss it, Gaul", he answered with some pride and confidence in the future of this fight.

He took his scepter and pointed him into the Spyro's direction before using magic on him and retort:

"Then please... have a seat."

His was powerful enough to control that action on the Purple Dragon. It was so pathetic. He? Almost as strong as Malefor? Ah! He laughed.

"Foolish Dragon... you are no match!"

"I've made it this far, haven't I?"

"Yes. You have been quite elusive. Had I but known that all it would take would be your _miserable_ amity for Cynder. How tragic really..."

A form flied and rushed into Spyro.

"... that _she_ would be the one who destroy you."

It was perfect. He was going to die, and it was going to be so satisfying after all he did.

She attacked him and put him on the ground! He got up.

"You don't need to do this, Cynder."

"Just like old times, huh Spyro?" she answered with determination.

Gaul, then, let escaped a laugh from his mouth. It was too funny to see that, and too satisfying to know that it will finally be over with this Dragon!

The two young Dragons began to turn around each other just like if they were in an arena...

And Cynder was the first to attack!

She rushed and jumped...

… to finally fly into Gaul!

Rage, Despair and Madness were now flowing right through the entire body of the Ape King, of this broken soul.

A tear coming to his lonely eye, he brutally grabed Cynder and yelled:

"This isn't over!"

And he threw her on the wall with violence and strength.

 _Fool me once, shame on you... Fool me twice, shame on me..._

She hit the rock and fell unconscious.

One Ape began to get closer to Spyro but Gaul stopped him.

"Don't touch it! The whelpling is _mine_!"

He wanted to fight with honnor this Dragon and, most of all, as his madness was now controlling him, he wanted to finish it by himself, he wanted to break his bones, to slip him, to make his blood flowing like a river!

He jumped in the arena, landing with a loud noise. And he put his two hands behind his back before, when Spyro made a surprised face, taking his swords with a loud growl, ready to fight and ready to kill!

He tried to slash but he dodged, going a bit far from him!

 _Oh no, my boy! You're not going anywhere!_

He jumped, his two swords high! And he landed brutaly, planting his sword on the ground violently, creating a magic blow! Spyro dodged again! So he did it again! And this time, he took all in the face! And again! And again! And again! And...

His swords were stucked on the ground. He swore and tried to pull them back! Spyro was in front of him so he kept an eye on...

He suddenly dissapeared and a blurred very fast form was rushing on him, right next to his flank!

 _What the..._

He felt a sudden pain. Then, Spyro appeared again : he was the form. And he was punching him! He suddenly used his horns and pushed Gaul on the side, his sword with him and not into the ground this time.

He tried to rush on him!

But Gaul, seeing that, teleported right behing him and hit him with his fist, making him fly through some meters onto the ground!

He slowly advanced foreward, closer to him. He used his magic and made a powerful ball that hit Spyro because he was on the ground! He laughed and continued to coming closer. Right next to him, he put his two swords high and began to strike!

And Spyro succeed his defense! He turned his head and used his Earth element to reject him!

And Gaul had enough of that!

"Your time is _over_ , Dragon!"

He laughed, jumped and did the same technic! Spyro dodged at the last second and, then, the ground broke in thousands of part!

They both fell into the room where all the magic was catalysed! One Gaul bone was even broke during that landing.

But it wasn't the only thing that broke. Indeed, his specter broke when it hit the floor. Gaul swore between his teeth when he saw that.

And that's when the Eternal Night began as the two Moons were now perfectly placed and the beam in the middle glew mighter. Spyro was inside of it and started to levitate as Gaul, with pain, got up.

A flash!

And Spyro's scales turned all black, glowing with pure darkness. He looked at the King with, too, madness in his all white eyes.

 _No..._

He recognized the Malefor's aura inside of Spyro. And he knew that he was going to attack him.

 _Even Malefor wants to kill me now..._

And that filled him with a rage that even berserkers would blush of as he yelled and activated his two mecanical and retractible metal claws!

He rushed on him and tried to punch him but he rolled on the ground! He tried again and he hit! Unfortunatly, the claws didn't touched him and he was now quite far from him. So he used his power and created, with his glass eye, a green beam to cut the dragon in two! He missed! Two times!

He laughed and with a his power, he created fire balls that he threw like meteors on the Dragon... But it missed again!

He groaned and, then, began to rotate. And he did that with so much speed that it created a tornado that sucked Spyro in!

The two were now in an undescriptible and terrible melee! Then, the Dragon got pushed out in the air as Gaul suddenly had his head spinning and stopped rotating so. He had to stay still until taking back his minds and taking back his breath.

And that was the weakness that lost him...

Spyro used the Purple Dragons element: the Æther. It gone through the entire Gaul's body as he felt terrible and horrible pain. The moment seemed to be eternal.

Then Spyro stopped and looked at Gaul like a predator was looking at his prey. And the King was completely exhausted, on his kneels...

At this moment, he considered that he lost everything... He lost his daughter, then his scpeter, then he lost Malefor, which soul was now part inside of Spyro, ready to kill him. He lost the trust of his specie because he was going to die and he knew that Malefor was goin to do something against the Apes, especially when those will try to revolt themselves because of the bad experience they had with every Dragons they encountered. He lost his Kingdom, his Master, his daughter... and now, he considered his life already lost. He knew that he was already dead. He knew that he was surrender by everything.

Now, he had nothing to loose...

"What are you waiting for, Dragon? _FINISH ME_!"

But he did nothing, which ran Gaul completely mad. He laughed and yelled:

" _Coward_!"

He got up, continuing to laugh as a maniac, and began to coming closer to Spyro, ready to strike and to kill him, a glimmer of hope inside him.

And Spyro used his element again on Gaul.

But he continued to go foreward and took it, gritting one's teeth! He had nothing to loose! He believed in that! He believed...

He began to gor backward as the element was as powerful as a cyclone in which every pain were felt! He put his arm as a shield... but it was useless.

Spyro stopped... and did it again, as if a sadistic cat was playing with a mouse.

Then, the Dragon began to levitate as an Æther's aura was shinning all around him.

Gaul realized what was happening... So he decided to put his arm in cross and to take all of it.

It was over now.

 _And he felt nothing when the Æther Fury went through him and put into the Eternal Night this Broken Soul._


End file.
